Aug, 2019

Product Review: d3 Rigid Tape

Recently I was introduced to d3 tape products, now since college to the present day, I have used an unnatural amount of tape, from zinc oxide, EAB, kinesiology, and underwrap, as well as insulation tape but that was more for athletes to use themselves. The tape I first tried out was zinc oxide which I go through the most out of any type of tape, be it ankles, knees or shoulders zinc oxide is simply a staple when it comes to taping athletes.

Tape is definitely one of those things that as a therapist that I have an unseemingly amount of it at hand at all times. For me I always have certain criteria that I want tape to cover. It must be easy to tear. Next is that the tape will actually stick once it’s applied. Nothing is more frustrating than having to wrap nearly twice the amount of tape on someone simply because it won’t stick or because it isn’t taut enough and 10 minutes into the game it’s like a second sock slipping down their leg.

As much as I want tape to tear easy I also want it to be strong and rigid when applied, so when I first tore some tape off I was surprised as it felt very light and loose in comparison to other brands. But when applied to the skin or to underwrap it actually was quite strong, easy to tear and easy to use continuously. Once I gave it another look I noticed that it felt lighter and less rigid once torn as it was latex-free which also means it is a lot easier to dispose of. As tape goes a far more environmentally conscious choice which in this day and age is something that often comes up in the choices therapists make especially given the number of consumable products we often go through.

Another thing I appreciated was the fact that on their own website they have video descriptions of the products as well as quick video tutorials for ways to use the tapes and not overly labored videos promising the impossible but ways to best apply the tapes and at what angles and for what reason which often gets lost in translation in many taping tutorials which are all about speed and looking clean but not always why they should use that certain way of taping . As such my initial impressions of d3 and in particular the zinc oxide tape is really good, probably one of the best quality-wise I’ve used and the effort put in from their end for product description and use impresses again on a professional level. Those small details always make me inclined to lean towards one brand or another. Price-wise they are average and not more expensive than what I have seen before and they also appear to provide everything you could need to buy. I typically buy from wholesalers themselves so the price being much the same is always a plus but there is an option to buy wholesale from them also.

If I was to give the product a score for my initial use and experience I would give it 4.5/5. Strength, sticky but not so sticky that its difficult to peal, reasonably priced and latex-free with great quality service from their end. Another aspect is the wide range of colour and patterns available, obviously not affecting the quality but more something that both athletes, patients, and therapists can appretiate themselves or even for younger clients to put them more at ease. The only downside is the packaging. As I say that a latex-free tape is a nice option from an environmental point of view, there is an excessive amount of plastic packaging. As nice as it is coming in individual plastic containers, it is somewhat unnecessary but I have not bought wholesale and this may be only something that may occur when small numbers are bought which is a rare enough occurrence for these as well as the fact that the packaging is all rigid hard plastic and so can be recycled. As a whole one of the nicest tapes I’ve used and I intend to try out more of their products as soon as possible.

I am currently stocking a small amount of d3 tape in the clinic for use on patients and if anyone wishes to purchase single rolls please feel free to contact me here.

Testimonials

I went to see Owen in August with a torn meniscus. Owen talked me through all of my options and gave me the time to... evaluate my options. We then put a plan in place, Owen was very open to feedback regarding the rehab exercises and made sure that it was a program that worked for me. He was always available for feedback and tweaking. I have now recovered to the stage that I ran 6.5k over the weekend and did 26k on the bike, in August I could barely walk.
Absolutely top quality stuff from Owen, highly recommend!read more

Just had an online consultation with Owen about my shoulder that I hurt near the beginning of lockdown & he was so... helpful!
Went through all the exercises I can do and how we’re going to strengthen up the shoulder so I can get back to regular training! Made me up a rehab program too.
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Owen was great with helping me recover from my injury. He was straight to the point, open and honest. He listened to... what I had to say about my concerns for my injury and took them into consideration when prescribing exercises for me. He acted as though I was his only patient he was treating at the time as he was very professional throughout. I would definitely recommend him for anyone looking to recover from any type of injury!read more

Owen Feeney is an amazing Athletic Therapist who I've been to and referred my own clients to as well. As a personal... trainer, it's really important to have someone you trust to refer your clients to when they have a niggle or an injury that's beyond your scope of practice! Owen uses up to date and evidence-based practice for his rehab and injury prevention methods and his goals are to get people back moving well to the best of their capability. Owen uses his social media platforms like this page and Instagram to provide free valuable information through his content so give him a follow/like as well!read more